Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision

Earlier this year, states that accepted additional federal Medicaid funding during the pandemic began unwinding the requirement that all Medicaid enrollees receive continuous coverage until the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

In Ohio, the process of reviewing enrollee eligibility and returning to the standard eligibility determination process is expected to conclude in March 2024. This brief details the Ohio process and provides analysis of how unwinding has impacted Medicaid enrollment.

3 Key Findings for Policymakers

• Three out of four Ohio Medicaid enrollees with completed renewals have kept their coverage. As of October 2023, 74% of enrollees with completed renewals are still eligible for Medicaid and have retained their coverage, while 26% have been disenrolled.
• Ohio Medicaid enrollment dropped by 259,670 enrollees since March 2023. From March to October 2023, Medicaid enrollment decreased by 259,670 enrollees, including 73,225 children (28% of decrease) and 186,445 adults (72% of decrease).
• More than 10.8 million people nationally have been disenrolled from Medicaid. At least 10,868,000 people have been disenrolled from Medicaid nationally as of Nov. 21, 2023. Ohio has the eleventh lowest rate of disenrollment across 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.).

More resources

• Medicaid Basics 2023
• Facts & Figures (PowerPoint data graphics from the report for public use)
• Medicaid, access and coverage
• Medicare & Medicaid Basics, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (April 2022)
• Medicaid Primer, Ohio Legislative Service Commission (November 2022)
• Medicaid: An Overview, Congressional Research Service (February 2023)
• 10 Things to Know About Medicaid Managed Care, Kaiser Family Foundation, (March 2023)
• 10 Things to Know About the Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision, Kaiser Family Foundation (April 2023)